How to Discover Who Your Ideal Client is and Why It’s Important

In the digital space it’s not uncommon to see posts and talk to business owners about how to find customers; usually because what they’re doing now isn’t working.

More often than not, it isn’t their efforts holding them back; instead, it’s not reaching the right people at the right time.

You see, in order to achieve growth with loyal clients and repeat business it’s important to understand completely who your ideal customer is. Once you’re able to hammer down who precisely needs what you have to offer and is willing to pay for it; you’ll be able to find them, sell to them and satisfy their needs.

It’s unlikely you’re a one-stop shop that has something that everyone wants; because of that, you need to do the work and find out who it is that’s going to pay you for what you have to offer.

No more advertising to large volumes of people hoping to get lucky with a sale; instead, your advertising is going to a targeted group and is written especially for them.

If you know who your ideal client is then all sales efforts, advertising and marketing has a clear focus for gaining new business.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level and willing to do your homework, read on….Here’s how you, too, can discover who your ideal client is.

Know your business from the customer’s perspective :

Since we own the business we assume we know everything about it, wrong! We often see things from the owner’s view instead of a customer’s point of view.

Grab a pen and paper and start by writing down precisely what you offer to your customers. This isn’t your product, it’s what your product does for them (might be harder than you think). You’ll want to identify what problem you’re solving for them and who would find value in what you’re offering. Once you’ve done that, consider the competition and ask yourself how you compare (be honest) and what makes you stand out from them. You might discover you have a little work to do.

Let’s recap, you’re asking yourself these questions:

What am I offering and what does it do for my customer?

What problem am I solving?

Who would find value in what I have to offer?

How do I stack up to the competition? What sets me apart?

Build a customer profile:

Now that you’ve done the research and have a glimpse into whom your ideal client might be, it’s time to build out a customer profile. Think of the customer profile as a detailed description of who they are and what makes them tick. Interviewing past and prospective clients are a great way to uncover:

Your customer’s demographics – age, gender, income etc.

Personality type and preferences

Behavior – their likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc.

Location – where do they live or spend the most time

Online habits – where are they hanging out, what are they reading and what are they searching for

Create your client avatar:

Now that you’ve laid the foundation and done your homework, you’re ready for the most important part of all; creating your client avatar. Being able to present your talents, products and services to your precise customer is critical to gaining new business. Think of your avatar as a fictional yet life-like representation of who your customer is.

Taking this highly important step and creating an avatar that represents who your ideal client is will guide you through current and future business decisions as you decide what solutions you will offer, which products to sell and who to target in your marketing efforts.

To simplify this process for you, I’ve created a FREE Finding Your Dream Customer Guide to aide you in discovering your dream client and creating your very own avatar.

I can’t reiterate enough how important it is to know your ideal client inside and out. Knowing who you need to make a connection with, who you need to help, and who to sell to; IS the essence to a successful business.